- April 18, 2024
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+ Palm Coast car dealership robbed
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the early morning break-in of Saturday, Dec. 11, at a Palm Coast dealership.
Deputies responded to the Flagler Chrysler Dodge dealer, on State Road 100, about 3:53 a.m. Saturday, in response to an alarm. When deputies arrived, they found a Plexiglas window of the service department door had been forcibly removed and entry was made into the building.
The burglar found a set of keys and started a car inside the service bay, but an inside padlock prevented the bay doors from opening. The burglar fled the scene.
Anyone with information on the burglary is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 313-4911.
+ County opens employee health clinic
Flagler County’s employee health clinic is officially open for business.
The clinic, which opened Friday, Dec. 10, will offer preventive health care, doctor’s visits and non-narcotic prescriptions.
The clinic offers a new convenience for county employees, and is also aimed at reducing the cost of health care coverage for the county.
The clinic is expected to provide immediate and long-term savings.
Prescription drugs, as well as professional office visits costs, comprise approximately 50% of claims costs for Flagler County.
By shifting office visits and a large portion of prescriptions to the clinic, Flagler County should realize much lower costs, therefore saving taxpayer dollars.
The services at the clinic are provided by CareHere, a company that has a contract with Flagler County.
Two doctors are employed by the clinic.
The clinic is located in the Flagler County Emergency Operations Center, in Bunnell, and is open 8 a.m. to noon and 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The clinic has already proved to be popular with the employees who have signed up for health assessments and free flu shots.
+ Public Meetings
Palm Coast City Council — the next regular meeting is 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 21, at the Community Center.
+ Xbox thieves nabbed in Walmart outage
Flagler County Sheriff’s deputies arrested two Jacksonville men who are suspected to be responsible for nearly $100,000 worth of retail thefts between Jacksonville and Sanford.
Napoleon Hillman, 41, and Marquis Sibley, 32, were arrested on charges of felony retail theft.
While on routine patrol the morning of Sunday, Dec. 12, in the Walmart parking lot on Cypress Point Parkway, in Palm Coast, Lt. Robert Weber noticed a man matching the description of a suspect wanted in connection with the theft of six Xbox game systems Dec. 10, from the store. While Weber watched, the man exited a white Ford Crown Victoria and entered the store.
While the man was inside, the store experienced a power outage that affected the lighting. Hillman and Sibley are not suspected of causing the power outage.
As deputies waited in the parking lot, the men returned to the vehicle. The tag on the vehicle had been covered with a bag. At that time, a traffic stop was made on the vehicle.
The Walmart asset protection coordinator positively identified the two men as having stolen $1,800 worth of Xbox systems, in December. Both men were arrested and transported to the Flagler County Inmate Facility.
The two men are believed to be responsible for numerous retail thefts in at least five other Walmart stores. The losses associated with the thefts are estimated to be $100,000.
+ County to receive grant for health services
Flagler County was informed Monday, Dec. 13, by the State Department of Children and Families, that it will receive a $455,295 grant over a three-year period to establish a Mental Health Support Service Program, which will focus on diverting those with mental illness disorders to treatment instead of the criminal justice system.
+ County gets grant for traffic upgrades
The Flagler County School District and Flagler County government will receive $1.7 million in state funds for four projects for area schools. County Engineer Faith Alkhatib said design of the projects will begin in the next few months and construction will begin next year.
The projects include a sidewalk along Old Kings Road from State Road 100 to Old Kings Elementary School; turn lanes on Old Kings Road going into Old Kings Elementary School; a sidewalk along State Road 100, from Belle Terre Parkway to the city of Bunnell; and a sidewalk along Matanzas Woods Parkway, from U.S. 1 to Old Kings Road.
The Flagler County School District does not provide bus service to students who live within two miles of the school they attend. The sidewalks and other improvements will provide a safer route to the schools. School officials also hope the sidewalks will lessen the traffic congestion at the school sites by students walking or bicycling to school rather than being dropped off by parents driving them to school.
+ Half marathon to traverse Palm Coast
Hundreds of runners are scheduled to lace up their shoes Jan. 23 in the first-annual Half Marathon, 5K Run/Walk and one-mile Fun Run.
Beginning at 8 a.m., the city of Palm Coast will host the event, which will begin at the Palm Coast Marina, at 300 Clubhouse Drive.
To register to participate, log onto www.usrahm.com. To become a sponsor, contact Lisa Gardner at 986-2341.
+ Jacksonville woman arrested in burglary
A Jacksonville woman was arrested outside a Palm Coast hardware store where deputies believe she was helping to steal used appliances. Rachel Tatro, 27, was taken into custody Sunday, Dec. 14.
Tatro was charged with being an accessory to burglary and possession of burglary tools. She was transported to the Flagler County Inmate Facility, where she was being held on $10,000 bond.
Tatro’s boyfriend was identified as Julian Smallwood, who is wanted on outstanding warrants from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. Jacksonville deputies found 40 to 50 used household appliances on his property.
— Compiled by Andrew O’Brien
NUMBERS IN THE NEWS
3,000 — jobs Milissa Holland’s new economic development framework hopes to stimulate within five years, in Flagler County. PAGE 1
3 — goals scored by Matanzas High School soccer’s defender Justin Watts so far this season.
